Community Corner

'Plan A' Going Well For Teen Battling Cancer

Early signs very good for Glenn Lightner, now in Belgium, seeking alternative medicine for brain cancer.

No negative symptoms of any kind have presented themselves thus far in Glenn Lightner’s journey of receiving alternative medicine in Belgium, and things are going as planned, according to Lightner’s father, Larry.

Glenn Lightner, a 13-year-old Long Valley Middle School student diagnosed in 2007 with anapestic ependymoma grade III brain cancer,

After years of treatment in the United States, the Lightner family

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The family left for Belgium at the end of March, and “Plan A,” as Larry Lightner calls it, is going as expected.

“So far things are going as planned in Belgium,” Lightner said in an email to Long Valley Patch. “Glenn has received two injections of Professor Van Gool's creation with the third and an MRI being done this Friday. We're hoping the next MRI is clear so we can stay with plan A.”

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Plan A refers to the , after the Belgium doctor extracted his white blood cells and mixed them with other elements, Lightner said.

Once that course of action is complete, the Lightners will then go to the southeastern corner of Germany for intensive, six-day-a-week treatment with another doctor. That plan will last three weeks, Lightner said.

Long Valley’s MaryAnn McIntyre made connections through her church with residents of Belgium, Lightner said, who have been helping make the stay overseas more comfortable and welcoming for Glenn and his mother, Silvia.

Long Valley’s rally for the family to help support their search for a cure hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Lightners, either.

“I never imagined anything like this could happen. For the past five years, it seemed every time the phone rang it was bad news,” Lightner said. “This is the first time in five years that so many good things have happened in a row. Silvia and I have been afforded the opportunity to concentrate on every parent’s most important responsibility, their child's health and well-being. All made possible by family, friends and an amazing community.”

Ongoing outpouring

Fundraisers for the Lightners seem to be everywhere you look in Long Valley, from to

The is getting into the mix, too, as it sets its sights on a family event in October, with proceeds benefitting the family.

The “Run Like Lightning” event will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the . Participants will be able to run, walk, or bike the course. Food and drinks will be served and prizes will be awarded in several categories.

For more information about the event, visit wtmorris.org, or go here directly.

Also, as of Wednesday evening, there were still 40 tickets available for the Rally in the Valley event for Glenn Lightner, taking place April 28 at . Learn more about the event and how to

 

 


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